I'm so sorry this is happening to you! We had measurement issues on all our walls...and our KD measured, not us! (I liked our KD and would recommend her for her design and mostly good, practical advice, but I would not have her measure!)

A few words of advice for other DIYers that I learned during our remodel...

(1) Always take several measurements at different points for each dimension...at the very least, measure from the middle of the wall, near the floor, and near the ceiling.

(2) Always leave an inch or two for "wiggle" room when filling your room w/cabinets & appliances. You can always fill it with filler if needed.

(3) Measure two or three times for each measurement you take!

(4) Don't try to measure alone...do it with at least one other person so you aren't trying to "hold" the tape measure in more than one place (or relying on something to prop it up, etc.)

Yes, it's time consuming to take all these measurements...but in the end, it's worth it!

Ouch. Try not to beat yourself up too much. You are maybe paying a bit more than you wanted to for the knowledge, but you know now. Been there, done that.

So, can you shave anything, move anything? Have you got starter moldings you can insert last?

Mike, can you shave into the drywall on either side? Replace the 3/4" drywall walls with 1/4" backer board on those sides? Remove the wall of one of the cabinets and sister it to its fellow? (If you have standard boxes there is probably at least one place where you've glued two up together and don't need the double wall between them, right?) Do you have a photo or drawing of that wall's cabinetry layout?

There must be a way to fix this! DIYers unite! :-)

Just remember, if you cut into/shave off/remove anything, you will void the warranty on the cabinet(s) you modify. It may not matter, but I just wanted you to be aware of it.

Is there any filler anywhere in your design that you could steal that 3/4" from w/o adversely impacting the functionality of the area you take it from? It's a rare kitchen that has no filler anywhere...yes, some is needed to allow doors/drawers to open properly, but there is sometimes filler to force something to be centered or placed "just so".

Do both ends of the cabinet run end at a wall perpendicular to the cabinet run?

circuspeanut said:
"Mike, can you shave into the drywall on either side? Replace the 3/4" drywall walls with 1/4" backer board on those sides? Remove the wall of one of the cabinets and sister it to its fellow? (If you have standard boxes there is probably at least one place where you've glued two up together and don't need the double wall between them, right?)"

I agree. If you don't mind the drywall mess, you could take down the drywall, which is probably 1/2" or even 3/4" and replace with 1/4", and at the same time try to fix the bowing issue. That works if it is a short wall, but not if you have a whole wall to replace, I suppose.

Also, really analyze the walls and where the unevenness is. You very well may be able to sand some of that away with the drywall and then go back in and patch and smooth it with joint compound.

Thank You for the responses and suggestions.

Unfortunately there were no fillers to remove and shaving the cabs would have only gotten a 1/2". I thought about replacing the 1/2" drywall with 1/4" but thats a huge
under taking for a 1/2" total.

I went back to Lowes (where I bought the cabs from) and they helped me out. I was able to return an 18" cab and replace it with a 15" cab and a filler. Its a shame the cabs only come in 3" increments but thats life.

So now I get to wait a couple more weeks for the cabinet
to show up from the manufacturer.

Oh well.. lesson learned. Measuring twice is not enough
when it comes to kitchen planning:)

DIY_Mike